Lebanon Coast to Be Ceded to Palestine

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Negotiations for a part of the French mandated territory of the Lebanon to be ceded to Palestine will be conducted during the visit of the French High Commissioner for Syria, M. de Jouvenel, according to reports appearing in the Palestine Arab Press.

The Arabic Press here states that the whole of the southern sea-zone of the Lebanon, from the mouth of the River Litani downwards is to be ceded to Palestine.

Negotiations for the cession of this part of the Lebanon to Palestine would revive a question which has always been of the greatest importance to Palestine and which was continually urged in the early period of 1919-20, before the frontiers of Palestine had been delimitated. It is pointed out that the River Litani is essential for the economic development of Palestine, which in the absence of coal in the country is dependent for her economic development on water power. The Jordan is not sufficient to supply water power for Palestine.

The final signing of the Palestine Electrification Concession held by the Ruttenberg Company brought up this question in an acute form, and reports began to circulate in Palestine then that a proposal was to be made to the French authorities in Syria to allow the Ruttenberg concession### as to make use of the waters of the River Litani for obtaining hydraulic power.

The inclusion in Palestine territory of the coast line from the mouth of the River Litani downwards would also straighten out the northern Palestine frontier by bringing it up to Mount Hermon, where it would join the present frontier just above Metullah, the northernmost settlement in Palestine, where at present the frontier line goes abruptly downwards for about fifteen miles.